Hook for use on end of climbing rope

Jim Trouse

Has anyone been able to work out a safe way that is going to be stong enough to make like a hook to get over to other trees while staying attached in the same tree or get out to long extending limb with ease?

Eric Frei

I got a Wolfe Garten extendable pole and drop the other end of your life line through ... hook it back, extra prussik and use two ends.

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Jim Trouse

Thanks for that but the problem is i dont climb with a pole saw hook. id like something i can have at ease of access

Eric Frei

I'd say a small pronged boat anchor or make one up. Just tie your climbing line to the eye. I suppose the prongs could straighten coz that's how boat anchors are designed if caught on a reef, might be best just getting one welded up.

Also there's like collapsable pole saws that extend out 10' or so but fold up only a few feet long that hang from your harness. Maybe convert a collapsable fishing rod, make it a stiff one though, put a hook on the end.

I dont climb with the pole saw, just pull it up if I need it.

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TrevMcRev

I know some climbers who've done a lot of Koala capture work, chasing them through multiple tree tops all day. They use a alloy hook on a rope. Its pretty big dia on the hook end and a bit smaller on the other, kinda like a "S".
You can clip it on or off your climb line, or use a secondary line, or you rigging line to get you across a distant spreading canopy or other tree very quickly. Seen it in action and is very effective.

Jim Trouse

I work with some of those guys i was trying to get a bit on an idea what others might be using thats all cheers.

Tree Machine

I traverse aerial spans, both from tree to tree, but more regularly from one section to another section of monster crowns, especially in the Fall and Winter months. Most often it's in big, spreading oaks and you've finished pruning or deadwooding some high outreaches. You're way out there and need to move to the next quadrant of the tree, once again, way out there. If you move down your limb and back into the center of the tree, you then need to go back up the next limb and way out, but your rope is set in the limb you just came out of.

In those certain, juicy-big trees when you're a distance from the center of the tree, you look over at about the same level and see where you need to be next, and its not that far away, but going back down, over, and then back up, now that's covering some distance. It is a most excellent exercise to just go from 'here' to 'there'.

I've read threads elsewhere (do a search, keywords 'grapple hook') and the idea behind the grapple is you toss it over your intended limb, let it drop, fish it around until it hooks on a limb down below. Tension it, pray it doesn't release during your traverse across, enjoy the adrenaline. Some guys make it work. I say good for them, and I pray for their safety. Personally, I'm not doing a life-or-death traverse unless the climbing line is anchored in a bombproof manner into the intended target area. Even if you elect not to do the traverse across, its still advantageous to reset your rope over there before actually going there. It's often easiest to reset to over 'there' from 'here', then go down the here limb, over to the there limb and then back up with a line securely set out there to get out 'there'.

Honestly, though, I have zero experience using a grapple hook. Since this is what the thread is about, the above is more of a derail, or an interruption (for the more tolerant). Please accept my apologies.

jim1nz

Bugger the pole saw! Boat anchors can rip and damage branches.

There has been traverse hooks out, but the problem is people have been having trouble with using them safely. They are perfect for long avenues with big trees, much faster and less work to go across then up and down.

Yea good post TM.

You hold and throw it similar to a throwline in one hand and have coils of rope in the other hand. There is quite a technique to it, but its really effective when used correctly. To massivly reduce the chance of the hook coming off the branch fork, you must decend a bit so its not a streight across traverse, this is very important.

Once your all set you just put on a prussic and go across, NOT unsecuring from you main anchor point at ANY stage, you would never just rely on the hook!

Freeworker dont do the hooks anymore due to the safety aspects involved with miss use, i think they are now unavailable.

George Hayduke

Freeworker in Germany has a nice hook for doing traverses.

I read about someone using a pick from an ice ax and a beak, there might be another name for the tool, as a hook for traverses.

Jim Trouse

I cant read german though does someone know how i can have a look at it to see if its what i want then possibly order one or is there and english site?

jim1nz

Like i say, they are now unavailable as far as i know.